"Sorry," She mumbled and the conversation around them enveloped them as they ate. "I think that essay from Snape is bloody ridiculous! I mean… Who knows or cares what dragon blood does when mixed with common table salt?" Lee Jordan was saying.
"Lee!" Hermione sounded assaulted, "Lee if you don't know what happens to dragon's blood when combined with common table salt, then you could mistakenly add salt to a potion and…"
"Oh, Hermione when would I have dragon's blood with my dinner salt? Yeah, I'm gonna have a vile of dragon's blood on the breakfast table!" The Gryffindor table roared with laughter.
"Fine! When you mix dragon's blood with salt in our next potion, let me say before hand, 'I told you so!'" Hermione commented before she returned to eating. From the staff table all the teachers were talking amongst themselves, except two. Professor Popa wasn't talking to Professor Snape and he wasn't to her. Instead she was watching the students as they, few by few, rose and left the great hall. The student's that had caught her attention as they left were Harry and Draco.
Draco had his arm around Hermione, as they walked behind a group of first year Ravenclaws. Occasionally one or two of them would turn around and goggle at Draco. He would simply ignore them, pretending to be in a very deep conversation with Hermione. "I wish they'd stop already," Draco complained, "It's not like I'm that big of a spectacle. Am I?" "Well you are Harry Potter, are you not? I mean they've grown up hearing all about you," Hermione reasoned. She was beginning to forget that it was really Draco she was talking to. Draco smiled.
"Yeah… Well…" he decided to change the subject, "How much more homework do you have left"
"Not much… I have a little left of that essay for Snape. How 'bout you?" she asked kindly.
"Er…. A lot," he mumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I'll help you. What would you ever do with out me?" Draco pulled her closer to him so that she was facing him, and they kissed.
"Uggghhh! Do that in private please!" Pansy gagged from behind them.
"Yeah Pothead can't you take your filthy mudblood… lover… I guess that's what you'd call it… back to the hole that she came from?" Harry sneered. It no longer pained him to make snide comments about any of the Gryffindors, or any one at that. "Go shove your wand up your ass Malfoy," Ron sneered back to Harry. The remembrance of the two switching was beginning to wear off. Harry was becoming more like Draco and Draco was becoming more like Draco, all very confusing.
"Oh, if it isn't Weasel King!" Harry mocked joy in sight of Ron.
"Shove off Malfoy. Why don't you go back and tell Daddy on me?" Ron patronized, "Why don't you go back the hole your mum found you under?" Ron stood beside Draco and Hermione, "Come on, let's get out of here," Ron took Draco's arm and pulled Draco up towards the stairs.
"How's your father, Weasel? Heard he still hasn't been promoted. How do you pay for all your school supplies?" Harry taunted.
"He's not worth it Ron. Come on," these were Draco's words that reached Ron's ears. Ron just looked at him. Draco had told them all of what Popa had told them after class that afternoon.
"Is this part of it?" Ron asked. Draco nodded his head, eyes down cast. "Part of what?" Pansy asked perplexed beside Harry.
"Nothing," Harry said as he wrapped his arm about her waist, "Slytherin's going to beat Gryffindor butt this year. Don't you doubt it," with that Harry and Pansy turned to the corridor that led to the Slytherin common room.
"Yeah right…" Draco mumbled surprising Ron, "What?" he asked him.
"When are practices… captain?" Ron asked with a smile, "Ya know…" Ron put his arm around Draco's shoulders, "Maybe we could get along… We could get a really good team going and…" Ron and Draco continued up to the Gryffindor common room talking about quidditch. Mean while Harry and Pansy reached the Slytherin common room.
"What you working on, Drakie?" Pansy asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind him as he worked on plans for quidditch practice. "Quidditch…" he replied as he leaned back into her, "What do you want?" he asked teasingly. "Just wondered what you were doing… Have you gotten any word from your father?" Pansy asked as she gently kissed his neck.